Liquid circulating apparatus



Jan. 10, 1956 w. o. HlCKLlN LIQUID CIRCULATING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 12, 1951 E. El

FIG. I.

Jan. 10, 1956 w. o. HlCKLlN LIQUID CIRCULATING APPARATUS Filed July 12, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 i I I lrlr I v I I f! r Jln 1 Mw w 4 b w w 6 a 3 E 3 Jan. 10, 1956 w. o. HICKLIN 2,729,962

LIQUID CIRCULATING APPARATUS Filed July 12. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 12, 1951 fl //////////////V United States Patent LIQUID CIRCULATING APPARATUS William Osborn Hicklin, Manchester, England, assignor to William E. Cary Limited, Manchester, England, a British company Application July 12, 1951, Serial No. 236,294

Claims priority, application Great Britain April 12, 1950 4 Claims. (Cl. 68-184) This invention relates to liquid circulating apparatus, and is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to machines for the washing of clothes and other textiles and is concerned mainly with machines for domestic laundering purposes. The invention relates to that type of machine or appliance in which a directed disturbance of the washing liquid is relied upon for the desired tumbling or agitation of the clothes, as distinct from the mechanical agitators used in other types of machines. Also, whilst the invention is mainly appropriate to a portable device which may be inserted into and withdrawn from a tub or boiler, or domestic sink, or the like, and will be described more particularly in that connection, it may also be incorporated into the structure of new machines as an integral or composite part thereof. The term washing as used herein may be taken as including any similar liquid treatment of textiles, such for example as dyeing.

The invention comprises a liquid-circulating mechanism for use in a container preferably for washing clothes and other textiles, in which there is a liquid-flow tubular base adapted to be immersed or partially immersed in the washing liquid, a rotary impeller in such tube for circulating the liquid, and means for driving the impeller, said tubular base having one or more inlets below (or above) the impeller, and one or more liquid outlets above (or below) the impeller, and a foraminous or perforate screen shielding said inlet or inlets to prevent access of the clothes thereto. In general, the liquid-flow tube will be an uplift tube, the several parts will be in axial alignment, the driving means being an electric motor in an upper housing, the impeller being in a lower housing, the outlet or outlets being between the housings and the screen surrounding said lower housing circumferentially or substantially so. The screen may constitute a base for the machine, to support it on the floor of a tub or sink or the like, and in this last connection may be in detachable axial sections so that the height of the machine may be adjusted to suit the depth of the washing fluid. The screen may surround the tube from just below the outlet or outlets and thereby serve as a surrounding enclosure or skirt for that part of the tube between the outlet and inlet.

It is preferred that the machine be built to stand on its own base at the centre of a tub or boiler, or the like, or in a sink, in which cases it is characterised by a guide member substantially of inverted cone form, directing the impelled fluid towards an annular opening or openings disposed around the machine. Means may be provided for adjusting the height of the machine from the said base.

The drive from the motor to the impeller may be by means of a shaft common to both, passing out of the upper housing and through the conical guide member. Alternatively, the upper housing may be entirely closed, and the impeller shaft driven by means of a magnetic clutch, one part of which is in the upper housing and the other below it.

The preferred forms of the invention therefore comprise a base member including a tubular guide portion having an upwardly and outwardly flaring convex annular inner face having an annular lower edge and an upper horizontal top face portion, the base member being formed with inlet means located opposite and surrounding the lower edge of the annular inner face, a substantially conical guide member having an outwardly and upwardly flaring concave bottom face and arranged with the bottom face spaced from and above the top face of the base member so as to form with the same an annular upwardly and outwardly flaring passage curving into the horizontal withoutsudden change of direction and opening in an annular outlet means located adjacent the inlet means, the annular guide member having an opening in its center, a motor casing arranged on top of the conical guide member and having a bottom wall with an opening therein, a motor arranged within the closed motor casing, a shaft having an upper end connected to said motor and projecting downwardly through the opening in the bottom wall of the motor casing and through the opening in the center of the guide member and having a lower end portion located in the annular passage below the substantially conical guide member, impeller means secured to the lower end portion of the shaft and located in the annular passage, and adapted to suck a liquid through said inlet means in one direction, and to expel the liquid through the outlet means in a substantially opposite direction, and securing means firmly securing said base member, the substantially conical guide member and the motor casing to each other.

The invention will be best understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is part-sectional elevation of one example of liquid-circulating apparatus made in accordance with the invention and designed for use in a domestic washtub;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of an alternative form of the liquid-circulating mechanism, adapted to be held at the side of a tub or the like;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4 with the top cover removed;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a further form of the invention, adapted to stand on the floor of a tub or the like;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of a further and preferred form of the invention, and also showing a reticulated foraminous support for the machine; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the support shown in Fig. 8.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the improved apparatus comprises a tubular, tapered base or stand made in two sections, the lower section 10 having an upstanding flange ltlb adapted to locate itself within the lower end of the upper section 11. The two sections are provided with vertical inlet apertures 10:: and 11a respectively, which extend for the greater portion of the depth of the sections. Externally, the intervening portions between the apertures are preferably radiused in section, as shown in Fig. 3. Integral with the top of the upper section 11 is a depending vertical tubular inner guide portion 12 which depends within the section 11 to approximately one half its depth. In vertical cross section the uplift tube 12 is curved, as shown, as it diverges outwardly to the top of the base. The lower end of the uplift tube is closed by a grid 13, for example of A mesh. Above the base and coaxial therewith is a bellshaped motor housing 14, against the lower end of which is located a motor supporting plate 15 having an upstanding annular platform flange 15a and a central bearing member 15b for the impeller shaft 16. Immediately below the motor supporting plate 15 is a deflector guide member 17 shaped so as to provide a downwardlydepending tapered nose co-axial with the uplift tube portion 12. In the lower end of the nose is a bearing member 18 for the lower end of the impeller shaft 16. The curved shapes of the nose and the uplift tube are such as collectively to provide an annular, upwardly and outwardly curved passage, which in section tapers towards the upper end thereof (see Fig. 1). The guide member 17 is spaced from the top end of the base 11 by posts 19. The bell-shaped housing and the base section 11 are secured together with the aforementioned parts located between them by means of bolts 29. An interlocking connection is provided between the parts 14, 15 and 17, and suitable rubber sealing rings 22 and 22 respectively are included at such connection.

On the lower end of the impeller shalt 16 is the impeller 23, having a hub 24, shaped so as to be complementary for streamlining the end of the nose. The bearing member 18 for the lower end of shaft 16 is formed with shallow lubricating grooves 180 as such bearing bushis adapted to be lubricated by washing fluid.

The electric motor 25 rests on an annular rubber cap 15c and its shaft 251: is connected by a flexible coupling 26 to the impeller shaft 16. On the top of the motor is a connection plate 27 and electric lead 28 is taken down through the handle 2? and through a gland 36 in the top of the bell-shaped housing 14.

In operation, the apparatus is intended to he stood in washing liquid of a depth substantially up to the level of the top of the base or stand 11. If only a small wash is to be done, the lower section 10 of the base may be removed so that less water and soap need be used. The lower bearing member 18, below water level, is therefore adequately lubricated, being immersed in the washing liquid. When the motor is started, washing liquid is drawn in through the apertures 10a, 11a in the base or stand, and is lifted by the impeller which ejects it through the outlets 194! between the motor housing and the base and around the spacing members 19 which are spaced (as shown in Fig. 2) to reduce resistance to flow of the swirling liquid. Some of the washing liquid will collect in the space between the motor supporting guide member 15 and the nose of the deflector plate 17, but will leak away when the unit is removed from the wash tub. If, however, the apparatus is submerged to a greater depth the bcll-shaped housing acts in the manner of a divingbe'il to resist the water level rising in to the the motor. Entrance of water is obstructed further by the provision of a member 15!) in the centre of the motor support plate 15. A sealing washer 26a is caused to make light contact with the circular rim of member 15b by means of a light spring 26b of metal or rubber. During opera- J tion the downward pull on the shaft its? by the impeller will cause the washer to bear with greater pressure against the bush.

prevents any small article such as a. handkerchief from getting into the impeller whilst the deep perforated base provides very free entrance for the washing iluid so that articles of laundry are not drawn with any substantial force against it and are continually displaced by the uprising current of the circulation.

In an alternative construction, the liquid inlets in the base may be arranged horizontally instead of vertically.

Referring now to Figs. 4-6, there is an open-topped sheet metal base part or skirt 31 of oval shape in horizontal section, having an attachable bottom member 32, in the centre of which is a circular recess 32a, and there is a sheet-metal cap or top member 33, also of oval shape, these parts being disposed one above another and attached respectively to the bottom and top of an openmesh tubular wire grille or screen 34. Standing in the said recess 32:1 in the'base part 32 is a vertical tubular member 35, whose outside diameter is almost equal to the inside diameter of the said base 31, and such tubular member 35 extends up into the cap 33, where it abuts a liar partition or plate 36 held in the cap.

At its lower end, within the skirt 31, said tubular member 35 has substantial inlet openings 37 in its wall and, a little higher up, immediately above the top edge of the base, there is a large outlet opening 38, behind which (within the tubular member) is a baflle or guide member 3? of curved form, its lower edge 39a being secured to the back of the tubular member 35, and its upper edge 3% abutting the front of the tubular member, whilst its concave side faces the said large outlet opening 38.

in the upper part of the vertical tubular member 35 is an electric motor 40, suspended from the said flat plate 36 in the cap 33 and with its axis vertical, and its shaft 41 is projecting into an axial recess in an extension shaft passing down through the concave guide member 39 into the said open-topped housing 31, where it is fitted with a three-blade impeller 43. There is a cupshaped partition 44 in the tubular member 35, above the bafile 39, the centre part of which houses a bearing 45 for such extension shaft 42.

At the back of the grille 34 is an attached stiffening member 46, the upper end of which carries a spring clip 47 by which the machine may be clamped on to the side of a tub or other washing vessel.

In use, with the motor 40 running, the water enters machine through the grille 34, down to the inlet ports 37 in the bottom of the tubular member 35, into and up through that member 35 and, directed by the concave guide baffle 39, out through the said large opening 38 and through the adjacent part of the grille 34. As will be seen more clearly from Fig. 6, the oval shape of the grille 34 leaves ample room for the water to reach the inlet openings 37, whilst the apparatus as a whole does not project too far towards the centre of the washing vessel.

Referring now to Fig. 7, the base 48 for the liquid circulator is a bell-mouthed member, with its larger part at the bottom and adapted to stand on a fiat support, or on the hemispherical bottom (or other curved bottom) of a boiler, and it has recesses 48a cut in its lower edge, to provide inlet ports. The cap 49 is of circular shape .in plan, and fits over a flat circular top plate 50, to the underside of which is attached the outwardlyflanged upper end of a cylindrical motor chamber 51. The lower end of this chamber 51 is closed by a let-in flanged closure disc 52 having no aperture therein, the motor in that chamber being completely sealed against entry of the washing fluid. Cap 49 and motor chamber 51 are spaced from the base 48 by distance tubes 53, the whole unit being clamped together by long bolts 54 passing through those tubes 53 and so as to leave an annular space 55 between the bottom of the motor chamber and the top of the base, which space is surrounded by an open mesh wire grille 56. The upper part of the base is shaped internally as a venturi, as shown at 57.

Driven by the motor spindle 58, above the said let-in closure disc 52. is one half 59 of a magnetic clutch, the other half 60 of which is mounted on the top of a co-axial spindle 61 supported in a bearing 62 which is carried by a deflector or baflie member 63 substantially of inverted cone shape, with concave outer face, this deflector having a peripheral flange 63a at the top which is transfixed by the said long bolts 54, there being distance tubes 53 above and below the flange. The deflector 63 is disposed opposite the said annular space 55.

The said spindle 61 carries at an intermediate point, within the base, an impeller 64 fixed on the spindle 61, and there is also a fan'65 removably attached to the lower end or" the spindle. When the machine isto operate in water, the'fan blade 65 is taken oil, but whenit is to act as a ventilator, say in a storage room for provisions, or

for use in drying and airing clothes (with or without an air-heating device) the fan 65 is replaced.

In the construction shown in Fig. 8, there is a motor casing 66 closed at the top by a cap 67 to produce a diving-bell form of housing in which is located the motor 68. The cap 67 incorporates a detachable handle 69. The motor 68 is mounted on a plate 70 which, in turn, is supported by the upstanding flange 71 on a plate 72. To the bottom of the plate 72 is attached the conical guide member 73, which incorporates a bearing 74 for the impeller shaft 75, and below such guide member is the stand or base member which includes the tubular inner guide portion 76 and the conical supporting portion 77 having circumferentially arranged inlet means 77a. The bottom end 77b rests in the container containing the washing liquid, preferably on the foraminous base 80. The outwardly and upwardly flaring bottom face of guide member 73 and the flaring convex inner face of the inner guide portion 76 form an upwardly and outwardly flaring passage 78a curving into the horizontal at the horizontal top face portion of guide portion 76, the cross sectional area of the passage becoming smaller towards the outlet 78. The several parts are connected together by spaced bolts 79, one only of which is shown.

The impeller 23 is supported on shaft 16, as previously described, and is located in the passage 78a. Consequently, washing liquid is sucked through inlets 77a, partly downwardly deflected by the substantially vertical concave face 76a and moves upwardly through passage 78a and back through outlet 78 into the container, flowing in a horizontal flow.

In order the better to prevent the clothing from clogging the inlet openings, the machine is combined with a reticulated or foraminous base or stand 80, shown in Figs. 8 and 9. This will usually be relatively shallow, as shown, and may be of a wire mesh or of a perforated sheet metal or the like.

Although the examples above described relate to the washing of clothes and other textiles, it is obvious that machines embodying the invention can be used for other purposes where circulation of liquids is required.

What I claim is:

1. A washing machine for use in a container, comprising, in combination, a base member including an annular outer supporting portion formed with circumferentially arranged inlet means and having a bottom end adapted to be supported in said container, and a tubular inner guide portion having an upwardly and outwardly flaring convex inner face having an upper horizontal top face portion merging into the top end of said supporting portion and an annular substantially vertical outer face located opposite a part of said inlet means; a substantially conical guide member having an outwardly and upwardly flaring concave bottom face and arranged with said bottom face spaced from and above said inner face of said base member so as to form with the same an annular upwardly and outwardly flaring passage curving into the horizontal without sudden change of direction and opening in an annular outlet means located adjacent said circumferentially arranged inlet means, said guide member having an opening in its center; a motor casing arranged on top of said conical guide member and having a bottom wall with an opening therein; a motor arranged within said closed motor casing; a shaft having an upper end connected to said motor and projecting downwardly through said opening in said bottom wall of said motor casing and through said opening in the center of said guide member and having a lower end portion located in said anular passage below said substantially conical guide member; impeller means secured to said lower end portion of said shaft and located in said annular passage and adapted to suck liquid from the container through said inlet means at least partly downwardly along said annular outer face, and to move the liquid through said passage back into the container in a substantially horizontal flow so as to circulate a liquid and clothes in the container; and securing means firmly securing said base member, said substantially conical guide member and said motor casing to each other.

2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tubular inner guide portion has a concave annular face located opposite said inlet means in said supporting portion so that a liquid entering through said inlet means is downwardly deflected before entering said passage.

3. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1 and including an annular base means formed with inlet means and supporting said supporting portion of said base member.

4. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1 and including a foraminous base supporting said supporting portion of said base member.

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